September 29, 2016

Americans want to be able to choose a president who is capable of reason, of learning from failures, and of telling them the truth, even when it hurts. Most of all, they want to choose a president who will adhere to the Constitution and will make government live within its means.

September 26, 2016

Despite his public claims to the contrary, President Obama was aware of Hillary Clinton’s use of private email on a private server. How do we know this? Because he emailed her private email account, using a pseudonym to “hide” his identity. When asked to produce these emails under a FOIA suit, the State Department refused, citing “presidential communication privilege.” (thereby confirming the emails were from the President.) Details here.

September 21, 2016

Monet reading a newspaper, Piere August Renoir

In case readers wonder if traditional Republican (aka Conservative) ideas are still worth considering, I offer some model programs that have been put into play and are working. Albuquerque’s Mayor Richard Berry initiated “There’s a Better Way” as a response to increased homelessness. This program offers homeless people public service work in exchange for a wage, food and shelter. Participants are able to access city services, including health care, and about 100 have found permanent employment through the program. Governor Walker of Wisconsin led an overhaul of the state’s FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program, linking food stamp benefits provided to able-bodied recipients without dependent to working at least 80 hours a month. It also provides access to job search and job training services. In the past year, 14, 400 FSET participants have found permanent employment. Of course, Conservatives are strong believers of community-based solutions, such as the Joseph Project. This career placement program is based out of the Greater Praise Church of God in Christ in Milwaukie Wisconsin, and is sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson and other community leaders. At a national level, House Speaker Paul Ryan has offered a comprehensive anti-poverty plan as a core piece of the Republican legislative agenda.

September 19, 2016

Gary Johnson, Libertarian candidate for President, polls nationally at just over 8%. Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for President, polls at just over 3%. The Commission on Presidential Debates announced that as neither candidate met the 15% qualification, only Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would be included in the first debate on September 26.